Corset



M. H. BOWNE CORSET Filed April 26, 1929 Patented Mar. 25, 1930 om s MARY H. BOWNE, on WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS consn'r Y Application filed April 26,

' 7:0 abdominal muscles and not haveany part which will crumple up at the front .of the body when the wearer sits down; to provide a construction which will have added strength around the bottom and additional durability all around the'l'ower edge prov1d ing a more suitable material'to wh ch to attach the hose supporters; to provide a garment of this type of which the main part can be made of two or more pieces of elastlc' knitted fabric or of a single circular piece made on a circular knitting machine; and to provide a step-in garment of this typewhich will support the figure better than has been the case heretofore without bulk and will be 5 more comfortable, durable and inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages of the nvention will appear hereinafter. 7

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front perspectiye yiew of the garment shown in position 1n whlch it is worn; -r

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same in position on the wearer, and c Fig. 3 is a side View showing the effect when the wearer is sitting. 1

The main body of the garment can be made of a single piece of circular webbing madeall at once on a circular knitting machine or,

as shown in the drawings, oftwo pieces of webbing, a front one 10 and a rear one 11. In this case, they are secured together by Vertical seams 12'along the sides which are covered with non-elastic fabric sewed to both of the elastic members 10 and 11 and the cut edges of these' fabrics are of'course bound in in any desired way so that the elastic threads will not give way. I have taken advantage of these strips 12 to provide 1929.] Serial no. 358,343.

stepping into "it. V I 7 The two pieces 10 and 11,-asstated', are made of elastic fabric which stretches circumferentially but does not stretch up and down. The rear piece 11 is made in about the same wayias they are made in the ordinary step-in type of, corset at the resent tiine,'except that it is shorter at the V ottom for a purpose that willappear. 7 7 The frontpicelO is-made concave at the bottom and it reaches down only a short distance fromv the Waist-line in front, but it exloops 1'3 for use holding the garment while tends downward gradually from thereto the sides along straight lines 'until it registers with the ends'of the back piece 11 at the hips where the two pieces are connected together. I I

The back piece-11 being substantially uniform in width provides a section of the corset which is substantially horizontal, across the bottom of the back of the corset. V p All around the bottom I provide a narrow fabric band 14 preferably of a much closer weave than the restof the article and V stronger' in everyrespe'ct, but it has the same quality of elasticity in a I circumferential direction. This is sewed to the. bottom of the entire garment all arounditand extends below it forja material distance. fIt partakesofthe shape of the bottom'of the garment as formedof the two pieces 10 and 11 as described above. d The ends of the band 14 are brought to-' gether preferably in front and overlap. They arefs'e'wed together by two lines of stitching arranged, vertically at thepoints 16."

The principal feature of the corset, how-' ever, is that instead of being straight'around the bottom it i's'curved upwardly atthe front and this band 14 supports, the abdominal muscles and affords resistance across the front to hold the abdomen in. This tends to'support the figure inabet-ter way than when the strain is brought'at a distance below the abdomen Where it can dono good for this purpose. Theba-nd 14 comes aroundat the rear just below the point of maximum projection, and being of material offering greater resistance to stretching than the upper portion of the garment, tends to provide at all times a form-fitting or cupped in shape to the garment, particularly at the back thereof, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This tends to hold the garment down and to hold it tight 5 across the portion of the body around which the band 14 passes. It also tends to draw the front part of the band 14 inwardly and thus the position of the back of the band assists in holding the front in to support the abdomen in proper position. The front hose supporters 15 also tend to assistin this action.

From what has been said, it will be seen that this garment will hold the abdomen in and will hold itself in place on the body. It

has no tendency to get out of place and when thewearer sits down there is no material in front extending down as low as the bottom of the band 14 in the rear to crumple up in front and perhaps not remain in the same place when the wearer rises again. The reasons for its durability have been stated. It is also a comfortable garment to wear and has nothing on it projectingin any way when the wearer sits down and is in the same place with the wearer sitting as when standing. The garters 15 can be left off the garment if the wearer wishes to roll her hose.

7 The top part, instead of being made of elastic fabric, can'be made of sheet rubber,

and the garment used for the same purpose as rubber corsets usually are, in addition to the advantages above mentioned.

Although I have illustrated and described only a single form of the invention, I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the in vention as expressed in the claim;

. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is As an article of manufacture, a corset of the type described, comprising a rear section of elastic material, a front section of elastic material in a single piece extending fromside to' side, the back section being of uniform length and the front section being concave at the bottom so as to be narrower at the front than at the sides,,said sections being secured 5 together at the sides of the garment and a band of elastic material, less yielding than the material of said sections, and of uniform width secured by its upper edge to the lower edge of the corset body formed by said sections, and extending all around the bottom of the garment, whereby when on the wearer said band will extend across the bottom of the abdomen.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afeo fixed my signature.

. MARY I-I. BOWNE. 

